Calculating Harvest Yields

Summary of activity:
Calculate the harvest yield in bushels per acre.
Calculating Bushels/acre
To calculate bushels per acre the basic formula is:

Bushels/acre = (Harvested dry matter lbs) ÷ Standard lbs/bushel ÷ plot area acres
or Yield = “A” lbs ÷ “B” lbs/bushel ÷ “C” acres

Calculating “A”

“A” lbs = [ (100 – measured % moisture) * 0.01) ] x [harvest weight]

What % is dry matter convert to decimal the total weight of the grain including water

Calculating “B”
Standard values are found in tables, an example of which is found at the end of this document.

“B” lbs/bushel = [(100 – standard % moisture)* 0.01] x standard bushel weight (lbs)

The standard bushel weight of corn is 56 lbs/bushel. Corn has a decimal % moisture of 0.155
when a bushel of corn weighs 56 pounds.
The standard bushel weight of soybeans is 60 lbs/bushel. Beans have a decimal % moisture of
0.13 when a bushel of beans weighs 60lbs.

Therefore for corn: “B” lbs/bushel = (1 – 0.155) * (56 lbs/bushel)

And for soybeans: “B” lbs/bushel = (1 – 0.130) * (60 lbs/bushel)

Calculating “C”

“C” is the plot area in acres.

“C” = (plot width ft) * (plot length ft) / 43560 ft2/acre

For WQFS: the plot width is 30 ft and the plot length is 160 ft.

The resulting formula:

WQFS corn yield bu/acre =

{[(100 - %moisture) * 0.01] * [harvest weight]} / {[56 * (1 – 0.155)]} / {(30 * 160) / 43560}

WQFS soybean yield bu/acre =

{[(100 - %moisture) * 0.01] * [harvest weight]} / {[60 * (1 – 0.13)]} / {(30 * 160) / 43560}

Page 1 of 3 Harvest Yields SoP

Example of Excel Spreadsheet

A B C D E F G H
WQFS 1997

(Bean Harvest @
Corn Harvest bottom of file)
Oct. 15, 1997
Harvest area 30 ft. x 160
ft.

(lbs.)
Hvst. % Yld Trt. The formula in “F”
Rep Plot Trt. wt. moist (bu./A) Avg.
18.1 ((100-E9)*(0.01)*(D9))/((56)*(1-
1 12 3 960 150.8 135.2 0.155))/((30*160)/43560)
2 23 3 855 18.3 134.0

A B C D E F G H
WQFS 1997

Soybean
Harvest
Oct. 15, 1997
Harvest area 30 ft. x
160 ft.

(lbs.) The formula in “F”

Hvst. % Yld Trt.
Rep Plot Trt. wt. moist (bu/A) avg.
13.4 ((100-E60)*(0.01)*(D60))/((60)*(1-
1 11 2 335 50.4 48.3 0.13))/((30*160)/43560)
2 22 2 325 13.3 49.0
3 32 2 285 12.9 43.2
4 43 2 335 13.1 50.6

Page 2 of 3 Harvest Yields SoP

Table 2. Weights to equal a bushel at market standard
moisture contents.
---------------------------------------------------------
Moisture Sunflower
Content -------
(%) Wheat CWT Corn Barley Oats Rye Beans
---------------------------------------------------------
5.0 54.63 94.73 49.81 43.20 28.97 50.69 54.95
5.5 54.92 95.24 50.07 43.43 29.12 50.96 55.24
6.0 55.21 95.74 50.34 43.66 29.28 51.23 55.53
6.5 55.51 96.26 50.61 43.89 29.43 51.51 55.83
7.0 55.81 96.78 50.88 44.13 29.59 51.79 56.13
7.5 56.11 97.30 51.16 44.37 29.75 52.07 56.43
8.0 56.42 97.83 51.44 44.61 29.91 52.35 56.74
8.5 56.72 98.36 51.72 44.85 30.08 52.63 57.05
9.0 57.03 98.90 52.00 45.10 30.24 52.92 57.36
9.5 57.35 99.45 52.29 45.35 30.41 53.22 57.68
10.0 57.67 100.00 52.58 45.60 30.58 53.51 58.00
10.5 57.99 100.56 52.87 45.85 30.75 53.81 58.32
11.0 58.31 101.12 53.17 46.11 30.92 54.11 58.65
11.5 58.64 101.69 53.47 46.37 31.10 54.42 58.98
12.0 58.97 102.28 53.77 46.64 31.27 54.73 59.32
12.5 59.31 102.86 54.08 46.90 31.45 55.04 59.95
13.0 59.65 103.46 54.39 47.17 31.63 55.36 60.00
13.5 60.00 104.05 54.71 47.45 31.82 55.68 60.35
14.0 60.35 104.66 55.02 47.72 32.00 56.00 60.70
14.5 60.70 105.26 55.35 48.00 32.19 56.33 61.06
15.0 61.06 105.89 55.67 48.28 32.38 56.66 61.41
15.5 61.43 106.52 56.00 48.57 32.57 57.00 61.78
16.0 61.79 107.15 56.33 48.86 32.76 57.34 62.14
16.5 62.16 107.79 56.67 49.15 32.96 57.68 62.52
17.0 62.53 108.44 57.01 49.45 33.16 58.03 62.89
17.5 62.91 109.10 57.36 49.75 33.36 58.38 63.28
18.0 63.30 109.76 57.71 50.05 33.56 58.74 63.66
18.5 63.69 110.44 58.06 50.36 33.77 59.10 64.05
19.0 64.08 111.11 58.42 50.67 33.98 59.46 64.45
19.5 64.47 111.81 58.78 50.98 34.19 59.83 64.85
20.0 64.88 112.51 59.15 51.30 34.40 60.20 65.25
21.0 65.70 113.93 59.90 51.95 34.84 60.96 66.08
22.0 66.54 115.39 60.67 52.62 35.28 61.75 66.93
23.0 67.41 116.89 61.45 53.30 35.74 62.55 67.80
24.0 68.29 118.43 62.26 54.01 36.21 63.37 68.69
25.0 69.20 120.00 63.09 54.73 36.69 64.22 69.61
26.0 70.14 121.62 63.95 55.47 37.19 65.09 70.55
27.0 71.10 123.29 64.82 56.22 37.70 65.98 71.51
28.0 72.10 125.00 65.72 57.00 38.22 66.89 72.51
29.0 73.10 126.77 66.65 57.80 38.76 67.84 73.53
30.0 74.15 128.58 67.60 58.63 39.31 68.80 74.58
---------------------------------------------------------
Brackets (bold) indicate the weight at the market standard
moisture content.

Source: http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/crops/ae905w.htm

Page 3 of 3 Harvest Yields SoP